Disclosed herein is a configuration for ensuring sufficient power supply ability and ESD protection capability for i/O cells in a semiconductor integrated circuit device, without increasing its circuit area. In two i/O cell rows, a pair of i/O cells for supplying a power supply potential or ground potential are connected together via a common power supply interconnect. The i/O cells are arranged so as to overlap with each other in a first direction in which the i/O cells are arranged. The common power supply interconnect extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and is connected to first pads that are located closest in the first direction to the common power supply interconnect.
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1. A semiconductor integrated circuit device comprising:
at least two i/O cell rows each including a plurality of i/O cells arranged in a first direction;
a plurality of external connection pads; and
a common power supply interconnect that connects together a plurality of first i/O cells configured either as i/O cells for supplying a power supply potential or as i/O s for supplying a ground potential, the first i/O cells each included in a respective one of the at least two i/O cell rows, wherein
the first i/O cells connected together via the common power supply interconnect are arranged so as to overlap with each other in the first direction, and
the common power supply interconnect extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and is connected to a plurality of first pads which are included by the plurality of external connection pads and are located closest to the common power supply interconnect in the first direction among the plurality of external connection pads, and
the plurality of first pads are arranged at a same position in the first direction.
6. A semiconductor integrated circuit device comprising:
at least two i/O cell rows each including a plurality of i/O cells arranged in a first direction;
a plurality of external connection pads;
a first common power supply interconnect that connects together a plurality of first i/O cells configured either as i/O cells for supplying a power supply potential or as i/O cells for supplying a ground potential, the first i/O cells each included in a respective one of the at least two i/O cell rows; and
a second common power supply interconnect that connects together a plurality of second i/O cells configured either as i/O cells for supplying a power supply potential or as i/O cells for supplying a ground potential, the second i/O cells each included in a respective one of the at least two i/O cell rows, wherein
the first i/O cells connected together via the first common power supply interconnect are arranged so as to overlap with each other in the first direction,
the second i/O cells connected together via the second common power supply interconnect are arranged so as to overlap with each other in the first direction,
the first common power supply interconnect extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and is connected to a first pad which is included by the plurality of external connection pads and is located closest to the first common power supply interconnect in the first direction among the plurality of external connection pads,
the second common power supply interconnect extends in the second direction and is connected to a second pad which is included by the plurality of external connection pads, and
the first pad and the second pad are arranged at a same position in the first direction.
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3. The semiconductor integrated circuit device of
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5. The semiconductor integrated circuit device of
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This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/493,338 filed on Apr. 21, 2017, which is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/JP2015/004938 filed on Sep. 29, 2015, which claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-217334 filed on Oct. 24, 2014. The entire disclosures of these applications are incorporated by reference herein.
The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit device including a core region and an I/O region.
In recent years, semiconductor integrated circuits have further increased their scale to have an increasing number of input and output signals. Therefore, arranging input/output cells (I/O cells) in a single row to surround a core region may define the area of the semiconductor integrated circuit, thus increasing the area of a device including the semiconductor integrated circuit, i.e., a semiconductor integrated circuit device, which is not beneficial.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-21987 discloses a configuration for a semiconductor integrated circuit in which I/O cells are arranged in multiple rows in a peripheral portion of the circuit, thereby preventing the I/O cells from defining the area of the semiconductor integrated circuit.
In the configuration disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-21987, in which the I/O cells are arranged in multiple concentric rows, each I/O cell row is provided with a ring-shaped power supply interconnect, to which power is supplied through an external connection pad. This configuration requires each I/O cell row to have sufficient power supply ability and electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection capability. This requirement may be met by increasing the number of the I/O cells for power supply in each I/O cell row. Unfortunately, this solution further increases the area of the semiconductor integrated circuit.
It is therefore an object of the present disclosure to provide a configuration for a semiconductor integrated circuit device which is capable of ensuring sufficient power supply ability and ESD protection capability for an I/O cell, without causing an increase in the area of the semiconductor integrated circuit.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a semiconductor integrated circuit device includes: at least two I/O cell rows each including a plurality of I/O cells arranged in a first direction; a plurality of external connection pads; and a common power supply interconnect that connects together a plurality of first I/O cells configured either as I/O cells for supplying a power supply potential or as I/O cells for supplying a ground potential. Each of the first I/O cells is included in a respective one of the at least two I/O cell rows. The first I/O cells connected together via the common power supply interconnect are arranged so as to overlap with each other in the first direction. The common power supply interconnect extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and is connected to a first pad which is one of in the plurality of external connection pads and is located closest to the common power supply interconnect in the first direction among the plurality of external connection pads.
The semiconductor integrated circuit device according to this aspect includes at least two I/O cell rows, and a common power supply interconnect connects together a plurality of first I/O cells for supplying a power supply potential or a ground potential that are each included in a respective one of the I/O cell rows. The first I/O cells connected together via the common power supply interconnect are arranged so as to overlap with each other in the first direction. The common power supply interconnect extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and is connected to a first pad which is located closest to the common power supply interconnect in the first direction. This configuration enables each of the at least two I/O cell rows to be supplied with power from another one of the cell rows and to utilize the ESD protection function of another cell row. Thus, this configuration may enhance the power supply ability and the ESD protection capability without increasing the number of the I/O cells in each of the I/O cell rows. Further, this configuration may reduce an increase in interconnect resource required for the common power supply interconnect and keep an interconnect resistance value of the common power supply interconnect low.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a semiconductor integrated circuit device includes: first and second I/O cell rows each including a plurality of I/O cell arranged in a first direction; and an internal logic circuit arranged between the first and second I/O cell rows. In the semiconductor integrated circuit device, the first I/O cell row is arranged inwardly from the internal logic circuit, and the second I/O cell row is arranged outwardly from the internal logic circuit. The I/O cells in the first and second I/O cell rows each include a high power supply voltage region and a low power supply voltage region separated from each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The I/O cells in the first and second I/O cell rows are arranged such that each low power supply voltage region is located closer to the internal logic circuit. The first I/O cell row includes at least one first I/O cell which is configured as an I/O cell for inputting and outputting a signal and which has a signal terminal in the low power supply voltage region of the first I/O cell. The signal terminal of the first I/O cell is connected to the internal logic circuit via a signal interconnect.
According to this aspect, an internal logic circuit is arranged between the first and second I/O cell rows. The first I/O cell row is arranged inwardly from the internal logic circuit whereas the second I/O cell row is arranged outwardly from the internal logic circuit. The I/O cells in the first and second I/O cell rows are each divided into a high power supply voltage region and a low supply voltage region in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, and are arranged such that each low power supply voltage region is located closer to the internal logic circuit. This configuration allows a reduction in the length of the signal interconnect that connects the internal logic circuit to the first I/O cell row located inwardly from the logic circuit in the semiconductor integrated circuit device. As a result, signals may be transmitted faster, and power consumption may be reduced.
The semiconductor integrated circuit device according to the present closure may ensure sufficient power supply ability and ESD protection capability for I/O cell rows, without increasing the area of the semiconductor integrated circuit.
Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings.
The I/O cell row 10A includes an I/O cell 11A for supplying VDD1, an I/O cell 12A for supplying VDD2, and an I/O cell 13A for supplying VSS. Likewise, the I/O cell row 10B includes an I/O cell 11B for supplying VDD1, an I/O cell 12B for supplying VDD2, and an I/O cell 13B for supplying VSS. These I/O cells 11A, 11B, 12A, 12B, 13A, and 13B for supplying a power supply potential supply or a ground potential each include an ESD protection circuit comprised of MOS transistors or diodes, for example. The other I/O cells 10 are provided mainly for inputting and outputting signals.
The I/O cells 11A and 11B for supplying VDD1 (which are both marked with the same type of hatching in
The configuration illustrated in
In the configuration illustrated in
In addition, the I/O cells 11A and 11B for supplying VDD1 occupy the same range in the horizontal direction in the figure, and the I/O cells 12A and 12B for supplying VDD2 also occupy the same range in the horizontal direction in the figure. The I/O cells 13A and 13B for supplying VSS are arranged so as to overlap with each other in the horizontal direction in the figure. This arrangement of the I/O cells enables the common power supply interconnects 31, 32, and 33 to be implemented as interconnects extending in the vertical direction in the figure. Further, the common power supply interconnects 31, 32, and 33 are connected respectively to the pads 21a, 21b, 22, and 23 that are located closest to them 31, 32, and 33 in the horizontal direction in the figure. This configuration may reduce an increase in interconnect resource required for the common power supply interconnects and keep an interconnect resistance value of the common power supply interconnects low. Note that the I/O cells connected together do not have to be aligned with each other across the horizontal direction in the figure to achieve these advantages. The advantages may also be achieved by arranging the I/O cells connected together so as to overlap with each other in the horizontal direction in the figure.
Moreover, the two I/O cells 12A and 12B for supplying VDD2 are connected to the single pad 22, and the two I/O cells 13A and 13B for supplying VSS are connected to the single pad 23, resulting in a reduction in the number of the pads for power supply. Alternatively, connection to two or more pads is also be adoptable, just like the I/O cells 11A and 11B for supplying VDD1 that are connected to the multiple pads 21a and 21b. Increasing the number of the connected pads may reduce inductance and impedance in a package. Note that the advantage of reduction in the number of the pads may be achieved if the number of the pads connected to one common power supply interconnect is smaller than the number of the I/O cells connected together via the same common power supply interconnect.
Just like the common power supply interconnect 31 connecting together the I/O cells 11A and 11B for supplying VDD1 and overlapping with the pads 21a and 21b, each common power supply interconnect may overlap with the associated pad in a plan view. Such overlapping may further reduce an increase in the interconnect resource.
Furthermore, in the configuration illustrated in
The configuration illustrated in
Further, the I/O cell rows 10A and 10B described above each have a ring or frame shape and extend along the periphery of the semiconductor integrated circuit device 1. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the I/O cell rows 10A and 10B may extend along a portion of the periphery of the semiconductor integrated circuit device 1. Moreover, the configuration according to this embodiment does not have to be applied to the entire I/O cell rows 10A and 10B, but may suitably be applied to a portion of the I/O cell rows 10A and 10B.
The I/O cell row 15A includes an I/O cell 16A for supplying a power supply potential (VDD) and an I/O cell 17A for supplying a ground potential (VSS). The I/O cell row 15B includes an I/O cell 16B for supplying VDD and an I/O cell 17B for supplying VSS. These I/O cells 16A, 16B, 17A, and 17B for supplying a power supply potential or a ground potential each include an ESD protection circuit comprised of MOS transistors or diodes, for example. The other I/O cells 15 are provided mainly for inputting and outputting signals. For example, the I/O cell row 15A includes an I/O cell 18a for inputting and outputting signals and the I/O cell row 15B includes I/O cells 18b and 18c for inputting and outputting signals. The I/O cells 18a, 18b, and 18c for inputting and outputting signals include signal terminals 41a, 41b, and 41c, respectively. The signal terminals 41a, 41b, and 41c are connected to the internal logic circuit 40 via signal interconnects 43, 44, and 45, respectively.
The I/O cells 16A and 16B for supplying VDD (which are both marked with the same type of hatching in
The configuration illustrated in
According to the configuration illustrated in
In addition, the I/O cells 16A and 16B for supplying VDD occupy the same range in the horizontal direction in the figure, and the I/O cells 17A and 17B for supplying VSS also occupy the same range in the horizontal direction in the figure. This arrangement of the I/O cells enables the common power supply interconnects 35 and 36 to be implemented as interconnects extending in the vertical direction in the figure. This configuration may reduce an increase in interconnect resource required for the common power supply interconnects and keep an interconnect resistance value of the common power supply interconnects low. Note that the I/O cells connected together do not have to be aligned with each other across the horizontal direction in the figure to achieve these advantages. The advantages may also be achieved by arranging the I/O cells connected together so as to overlap with each other in the horizontal direction in the figure.
Further, the I/O cell rows 15A and 15B are arranged such that the low power supply voltage region of each I/O cell 15 is located closer to the internal logic circuit 40. This arrangement allows a reduction in the length of the signal interconnects 44 and 45 connecting the internal logic circuit 40 to the I/O cell 18b and 18c for inputting and outputting signals, which function as the first I/O cells and are included in the I/O cell row 15B located inside in the semiconductor integrated circuit device. As a result, the signal may be transmitted faster, and power consumption may be reduced. The arrangement also achieves a reduction in the length of the signal interconnect 43 connecting the internal logic circuit 40 to the I/O cell 18a for inputting and outputting signals, which functions as the second I/O cell and is included in the I/O cell row 15A.
Note that the configuration according to this embodiment suitably includes at least one signal interconnect to connect the I/O cell row 15B to the internal logic circuit 40. Further, the signal interconnect connecting the I/O cell row 15A to the internal logic circuit 40 may be omitted from the configuration according to this embodiment.
The present disclosure may ensure, for an I/O cell row of a semiconductor integrated circuit device, sufficient power supply ability and ESD protection capability without increasing the area of the semiconductor integrated circuit. The present disclosure is thus useful for reducing the size of a very large-scale integrated circuit with a large number of signal input and output terminals, for example.
Matsui, Tooru, Yoshimura, Masahiro
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